Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions. Recent studies have revealed that alexithymia is associated with less activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region shown to play a role in cognitive and emotional processing. However, few studies have directly investigated the cognitive domain in relation to alexithymia to examine whether alexithymic trait is related to less efficient voluntary control.
Methodology/principal Findings: We examined the relationship between alexithymic trait and voluntary control in a group of healthy volunteers. We used the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to measure alexithymic trait. Additionally, we examined state and trait voluntary control using the revised Attention Network Test (ANT-R) and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ), respectively. Alexithymic trait was positively correlated with the overall reaction time of the ANT-R, and negatively correlated with the Effortful Control factor of the ATQ.
Conclusions/significance: Our results suggest that alexithymic trait is associated with less efficient voluntary control.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577735 | PMC |
| http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0003702 | PLOS |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The association between dream activity and alexithymia during pregnancy: A cross-sectional study in a sample of pregnant women.
J Sleep Res
December 2024
Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explores how pregnancy-related factors, emotional awareness (alexithymia), and depression impact dream experiences in women during their first trimester, suggesting that dreaming helps with emotional regulation during this sensitive period.
- - 118 pregnant women participated in various questionnaires measuring their dream characteristics, emotional awareness, and depression, revealing that older age, prior pregnancies, and depressive symptoms influenced dream recall and nightmares.
- - Findings indicate that higher alexithymia and depressive symptoms are linked to more frequent and distressing nightmares, suggesting a need for targeted support to improve emotional coping strategies in pregnant women; future studies should look into the content of these nightmares for better understanding.
Alexithymia does not explain facial expression recognition difficulties across the dark triad spectrum.
Q J Exp Psychol (Hove)
December 2024
School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated whether trait alexithymia could uniquely predict abilities in facial expression discrimination and labeling, beyond the influence of dark triad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) in a sample of 236 individuals.
- Findings revealed that while both autistic traits and dark triad traits were correlated with facial expression recognition abilities, alexithymic traits did not add any unique predictive value.
- The results suggest that dark triad and autistic traits, along with general cognitive ability, play essential roles in facial expression recognition, while alexithymia does not contribute additional unique variance.
Maternal alexithymia and caregiving behavior: the role of executive functioning - A FinnBrain Birth Cohort study.
Arch Womens Ment Health
November 2024
Department of Clinical Medicine, The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how parental cognitive abilities (executive functioning) and emotional processing difficulties (alexithymic traits) affect the emotional quality of parent-child relationships (emotional availability).
- Researchers measured these factors in 119 mothers with young children, finding that higher alexithymic traits were linked to poorer caregiving abilities.
- The results suggest that parents with lower cognitive executive functioning may struggle more with emotional availability, indicating the need for further research into the interaction between these traits.
Alexithymia and illness perceptions in persons with multiple sclerosis and their partners.
Sci Rep
October 2024
Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK.
Illness perceptions (IPs) encompass opinions regarding the nature, severity and curability of a disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between alexithymia and IPs among persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and their partners, as well as within the dyads composed of PwMS and partners. PwMS referred to the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the University Hospital "Policlinico-San Marco" from 11th August 2021 to 7th January 2022 and their partners completed a battery of questionnaires, including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvestigation of Body Perception, Alexithymic Characteristics, and Self-Esteem in Patients Underwent Septorhinoplasty.
Ear Nose Throat J
November 2024
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Şeyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey.
Article Synopsis
- - The study assessed body perception, self-esteem, and personality traits in patients before and after septorhinoplasty, with implications for better patient selection in the procedure.
- - A total of 86 patients (54 females and 32 males, average age 24) participated, completing various questionnaires to evaluate their psychological state before and after surgery.
- - Key findings showed a significant increase in post-surgery satisfaction (measured by ROE scores), while factors like alexithymia and certain personality traits impacted overall self-esteem and body perception outcomes.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!